Most customers reach out to a distributor after something has already gone wrong. A bond failure, a product that didn’t hold up in the field, a callback on a job that shipped months ago. Stacy Gettys has spent more than 20 years figuring out how to get ahead of that moment, and Chemical Concepts promoted her to Sales Manager to build a team that operates the same way.

Stacy Gettys joined the company nine months ago as Southeast Territory Sales Representative, covering Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. She came in from outside specialty chemicals, with a career built in Medical Device and MRO sales, and what she brought to the role transferred faster than most would expect.

Twenty Years of Consultative Sales, Applied to a New Industry

Stacy Gettys’ background isn’t a typical path into specialty chemicals, but the discipline it built is exactly what the work requires.

What Medical Device and MRO Have in Common With Specialty Chemicals

Walking into a new industry after two decades in two others tends to surface surprises. For Stacy Gettys, the biggest one was how familiar the core work felt once she got into it.

“What surprised me most is how much this business is about problem-solving,” she said. “It’s not just selling a product. It’s understanding the application and helping the customer find the right solution. The products may be different, but the mindset isn’t. It’s still about helping the customer get it right and making their job easier.”

In Medical Device and MRO, a wrong specification rarely announces itself at the point of sale. It surfaces later, in the field, under conditions nobody planned for, and by then the cost has already landed somewhere. Working in that environment builds a specific discipline: get in front of the application before a customer commits, not after something fails. Stacy Gettys carried that instinct directly into adhesives and specialty chemicals, and it shaped every customer conversation she had across the Southeast.

Getting Involved Before Something Goes Wrong

“Most of the time, customers come to us when something has already gone wrong,” Stacy Gettys said. “Where we can add the most value is earlier in the process. When we’re brought in upfront, we can help select the right solution, avoid problems, and make sure things are done right the first time. It’s always easier to prevent the issue than fix it after the fact.”

That philosophy shapes how Stacy Gettys approaches customers and builds teams.

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What Nine Months in the Southeast Revealed

The Southeast territory Stacy Gettys spent nine months building gave her a ground-level view of where manufacturing activity in the region is concentrated and where it’s heading.

A Region Shifting Toward Adhesive-Based Assembly

“What makes the Southeast so interesting right now is the level of activity and growth happening across multiple industries at the same time,” she said. “The opportunity isn’t just in growth. It’s in helping customers adapt to how things are being built and assembled today.”

Construction and countertop fabrication are driving consistent demand for bonding and fastening solutions across the region, with marine, signage, and advanced manufacturing active alongside them. Running through all of it is a shift toward lighter materials, composites, and adhesive-based assembly methods that are displacing traditional mechanical fastening across more applications.

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What That Shift Means for Specification

Customers navigating that transition need a distributor who understands their application well enough to get the specification right before the material goes into production. A fabricator switching from mechanical fasteners to structural adhesives on a new substrate isn’t just looking for a product. They need guidance on cure time, elongation, substrate compatibility, and how the bond will perform in the conditions the finished piece will actually see. 

That’s the kind of involvement Stacy Gettys was building into her customer relationships in the Southeast, and it’s what she’s focused on scaling across the broader sales organization.

Building a Sales Team Around the Same Principle

Supporting a sales team isn’t new territory for Stacy Gettys. She has been leading teams for most of her career, and the philosophy she brings to Chemical Concepts is the same one she has refined over two decades.

Her Approach to Leading From Alongside

“My philosophy is simple: clear the path so the team can do what they do best,” she said. “That means providing clarity, removing obstacles, and making sure they have the tools, support, and direction they need to be successful. I believe in working alongside the team, not above it. When reps are aligned, supported, and confident in what they’re selling, the results follow.”

A rep who is confident in what they’re selling engages customers differently, asking better questions and surfacing application challenges before they become failures in the field.

Why She Joined Chemical Concepts

That alignment between her leadership philosophy and the company’s direction was part of what drew her here.

“I came to Chemical Concepts to be part of something that’s growing and evolving,” she said. “Leadership isn’t about managing from above. It’s about working alongside the team to drive results and remove barriers. This promotion signals that the company is serious about growth, alignment, and building a strong, forward-thinking sales organization, and I’m excited to be part of that.”

What the Promotion Means for Chemical Concepts Customers

Andrew Morris, CEO of Chemical Concepts, pointed to the combination of technical credibility and customer focus that Stacy Gettys demonstrated throughout her time in the Southeast.

“Stacy has made an immediate impact since joining the team,” Morris said. “She brings the right mix of technical insight, customer focus, and leadership experience to move us forward. As we continue to grow, she’ll play a key role in strengthening our sales organization and making sure our customers get the expert support they need.”

For manufacturers and fabricators working through bonding, sealing, and fastening applications, the right time to engage Chemical Concepts is before the specification is locked in. Stacy Gettys built her career on that kind of early involvement, and she’s now building a team around it.

About Chemical Concepts

Chemical Concepts is a leading supplier of adhesives, specialty chemicals, and related products, delivering high-quality consultation and solutions to a wide range of markets. Our mission is to apply innovative technologies to help manufacturers reach their goals.Want to discuss your specific applications? Our experts are here to help. Get in touch today and get the solution you’re looking for.